Photo: Nyttend · Public domainIn Big Island, July heat, January chill and rainfall all sit near the middle of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 87°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in September and the lightest in February. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 66% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 15 to October 24.
A year in Big Island at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Island’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Island’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Big Island feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 191 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 15 and the first by October 24. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lynchburg #2, VA, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Lynchburg Rgnl Airport, 17 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Island’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Big Is, VA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Island
79% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lynchburg Rgnl Airport.
Living with Big Island’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
191 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 15 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Island from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Island and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big Island yet.
Climates most like Big Island’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Island, VA | 26° | 87° | 46" | 16" |
| Fairland, MD | 26° | 87° | 46" | 16" |
| Milford, DE | 27° | 88° | 46" | 13" |
| Carneys Point, NJ | 26° | 87° | 46" | 20" |
| Croydon, PA | 25° | 87° | 47" | 20" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Big Island averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 80% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Big Island compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Island’s place among Virginia’s.
Big Island weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Island’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Big Is, VA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 26° | 3.5" | 3.4" | 9 | 2 | 29° – 42° |
| February | 50° | 28° | 2.9" | 5.4" | 9 | 4 | 30° – 46° |
| March | 58° | 34° | 3.9" | 3.0" | 10 | 1 | 41° – 56° |
| April | 69° | 44° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| May | 76° | 53° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| June | 83° | 61° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| July | 87° | 66° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| August | 85° | 64° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| September | 79° | 57° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| October | 69° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| November | 58° | 35° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| December | 49° | 29° | 3.8" | 3.5" | 10 | 2 | 30° – 49° |
| Year | 67° | 45° | 46.3" | 15.5" | 115 | 9 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 49°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Big Island’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Big Island’s center.
- Snow: Big Is, VA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Lynchburg Rgnl Airport, 17 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Lynchburg #2, VA, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Big Island’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Island?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Island in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 119 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Big Island get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Big Is, VA, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 9 days a year.
How hot does it get in Big Island?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 66°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Lynchburg Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Big Island?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 15 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 191 frost-free days, at Lynchburg Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Big Island in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Island?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Big Island getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Island.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.